Dear ,

Nashville’s beautiful autumn is here, and it was wonderful to see so many of you out a couple of nights ago on Halloween. Please see below for the latest District 6 updates.

Food

As you all know, national funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has lapsed. 10% of Tennesseans rely on SNAP, a large proportion of them children. The human suffering that will be caused by this is very real. (A judge’s recent order may help, or it may be appealed—the best case at this point will still involve significant delays and disruptions to essential food).

In cases like these, Nashville has to step in as much as we possibly can. If you rely on SNAP for nutrition, or if you are interested to donate food, or your time, please consult the actions Metro is taking and the Metro and nonprofit resources compiled here by the Mayor’s office. Please join me in thanking Mayor O’Connell for his leadership in this terrible situation, for living Nashville’s values by stepping into the breach with every resource available to a local government when our state and federal governments are failing our people.

Most importantly, if you or someone you know is going without food in this time, please, please reach out to me ([email protected] or 615-864-0008). We are all in this together.

Main/Gallatin

Even when the Metro government is taking on extra unplanned duties, we must also conduct the ordinary business of the city. Back in 1996 the East Bank Redevelopment District was created, to put a land use plan in place and spur development on the East Bank and along Main Street. That plan expires at the end of the year. I believe there may be, through an amended plan, potential to improve Main/Gallatin for transportation, housing, and small business. For that reason I am sponsoring in the Council a one-year extension of the current plan (the public hearing for which will be at Tuesday’s Council meeting: 6:30 in the Council chamber), which will allow time for important community discussion and input about potential amendments and improvements throughout 2026. So, please stay tuned for that next year!

Also on Gallatin

A couple of other more modest items pertaining to land use along Gallatin will begin formal consideration soon:

• A beer permit has been requested for the building under construction at the corner of Gallatin and McGavock (3104 Gallatin/1107 McGavock). This request has not been filed but probably will be soon. If you have concerns about this please reach out to me.

• 919C Gallatin (not far north of Petway) is currently mixed-use (OR20 zoning) and it has long been filled with local artists and makers. They are seeking an update to their zoning to allow a broader mix of tenants while remaining a location that continues to support local creatives. Consideration by the Planning Commission is scheduled for November 13th, with Council consideration to follow. You can see more at page 110 here, and please let me know any questions or concerns.

Housing and Infrastructure (continued)

As you know, at Council request, our departments are studying our housing and infrastructure needs, and the recent round of interim recommendations are currently under consideration by the Council. One proposal is to create some new middle-density zoning designations that do not currently exist in our code. Creating these designations would not rezone any parcels in itself, but would create new options to use where appropriate. Other recommendations propose modest adjustments to R and RS districts relating to infill development, clarifying/updating the duplex rules, and potentially expanding the use of DADUs. You can see details for these proposals here and can read the entire Draft Recommendations Memo here.

The public hearing on these bills is scheduled for this Tuesday, 11/4, at 6:30pm in the Council Chamber (1 Public Square, 2nd floor). There are proposed amendments and I expect others still to be proposed, so please feel free to attend the public hearing and also please let me know thoughts, questions, or concerns.

District 6 Tree Planting on 11/15!

Just a friendly reminder that our first annual District 6 Tree Planting Day is coming up on November 15! We’ll be meeting at 1415 Boscobel, from 9am-Noon, and the mix of trees we’ll be planting that day is going to be beautiful (including a bur oak… and a yellowwood…) Afterward we’ll adjourn to Bongo to warm up and socialize (thank you, Bongo, for hosting us!) If you’d like to join please sign up here! We will supply the shovels, etc, but feel free to bring you own if you like. It’ll be a great time and you will always be able to say, “Hey, I helped plant those, back in 2025!”

(Also, this day of planting does not include the many street trees that several of our neighborhoods have worked with the Water Department to plant, which will be coming soon. And more to follow… if you have any land in District 6 where we can plant some trees, please let me know!)

As always, please reach out to me directly at [email protected] or 615-864-0008. You can also use Hub Nashville for an array of city services and other Metro requests. 

Hope to see you soon. Yours in service, Clay